Migraine Headaches Support Group

Migraine is a neurological disease, of which the most common symptom is an intense and disabling episodic headache. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head and are often accompanied by photophobia (hypersensitivity to light), phonophobia (hypersensitivity to sound) and nausea.

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Brain & Nervous System
/ Migraine Headaches Support Group

My experience w/Aimovig, the first CGRP drug

YvetteK
YvetteK

I was so excited when my insurance company approved me for the Aimovig. I've been suffering with migraines for 30+ years. I have tried literally every drug under the sun. Don't get me wrong, I have an amazing headache specialist. I don't know how I would have gotten to this point without him. We were hoping the aimovig was going to be my saving grace. It turned out to be one of the worst drugs I have ever taken.


About a week to 10 days after taking my first dose, I started getting symptoms of a cold. A stuffy nose, pressure in my face, dull ache in my head. Then I got a low grade fever along with body aches and pains, along with the worse fatigue, and I was completely breathless.I felt so horrible I could barely make it out of bed the whole time. All these symptoms lasted for almost 3 months. Mind you, I also took a second shot during this time because never in my mind did I think the aimovig could be causing this.


My PCP ran dozens of tests on me, because I thought something had to be wrong, but everything came back normal. Then I started looking this up on the internet, and I read dozens and dozens of stories of people like me who had the exact same symptoms after taking this shot.



I'm not writing this to discourage anyone from taking this medication. I knew going into this that it only works for about 50% of people who take it. And for those that it does work for, it's amazing. I myself was part of the other 50% and will no longer be taking that drug.


For anyone else in this group that tries it, or any of the two other cgrp drugs that were approved this year, I really hope it works for you. We need victory stories in here!


LeaderoftheClan
LeaderoftheClan
In the early 1980's I came across a brochure in a hospital that explained the process of drawing the blood away from your brain and centering it somewhere else. This is done be slapping a wrist which draws the blood to that focal point. Since I get an aura before a migraine, I get some warning of its approach. I take two aspirin ( or whatever your chosen painkiller is ) and begin to slap my wrist. If I'm in public I will activate the blood in my wrist by pressing and releasing it with my thumb. When the aura goes away, the migraine is supposed to come on with a vengeance, but it won't because the wrist massaging takes the pressure away. The two aspirin that I consumed, dull any remnants or sensitivity remaining from the presence of the impending migraine. This process works every time. On occasion, I haven't had any pain killers to take, but the lingering remnants aren't that bad once the aura goes away.
YvetteK
YvetteK
We've come a long way in the understanding of migraine since the 1980s. I don't know what kind of headache you're having, but migraines have a whole host of symptoms that can occur days before the actual pain hits. I'm not sure how 2 aspirin and some wrist slapping takes away all of those symptoms, but I think if that was something that worked, doctors would be wise to it.

Don't get me wrong, it's great if it's something that takes away YOUR pain. But I'm someone who has pain from the time I wake up in the morning til the time I go to bed at night. My pain isn't going away unless it's with the help of some kind of chemical from big pharma.